Far from being an unimportant postscript this genealogy helps us see one of the main purposes for which God gave us this book.
Why does the genealogy start with Perez? Perez was the illegitimate son of Judah (1 Chron. 2:5) who, like Jacob, seized the initiative to stand in the line of messianic promise from his twin brother (Gen. 38:27-30).87This genealogy emphasizes how God circumvented custom and tradition in providing Israel's great redeemer, David. Like Perez, Boaz was the descendent of an Israelite father, Salmon, and a Canaanite harlot, Rahab (Matt. 1:5). Both Tamar and Rahab entered Israel because they believed and valued God's promises to Israel, as did Ruth. David himself was the youngest rather than the eldest son of Jesse.
"It is clear that a major purpose of the biblical narrator was to establish links between Judah and Tamar on the one hand and Boaz and Ruth on the other, links binding the royal promise given to Judah with the fulfillment of the Davidic dynasty. This was accomplished not only by demonstrating the affinities between the storiesof Tamar and Ruth, but also by suggesting important contrasts."88
The wording of the genealogy (Heb. toledot), to so-and-so was born so-and-so, does not necessarily imply that this is a complete list (cf. 1 Chron. 2:5-15; Matt. 1:3-6; Luke 3:31-33).89
"The first five names cover the period from the time of the entry into Egypt (Perez, Gen 46:12) to the time of Moses (Nahshon, Exod 6:23; Num 1:7), while the remaining five belong to the period of the early settlement in Canaan to the closing years of the judges."90
The fourth chapter brings to a tidy conclusion all the themes and threads spun out in the earlier chapters.91Then the genealogical appendix adds information that helps us appreciate the greatness of God's gift of the son, Obed. He became the grandfather of King David. The appendix also ties the events of the Book of Ruth to the past as well as to the future. It does so by showing connection with God's promise to raise up a ruler over His people from the descendents of Judah.
